The marketing arm will sell the fiber as a branded product. It will also focus on brand marketing to consumers and brand support, including technical, creative and fiber support services, according to WIN.

There is no word yet on how supportive the farmers will be but they are integral to the success of the plan, said Mike Jones, WIN CEO. "The importance of a united grower group behind a strong, market-led company supporting their fiber is imperative for the wider wool sector to thrive,bCrLf Jones said. He added that the strategy will serve to reposition New Zealand strong wool as a premium fiber.

The plan is to have the new marketing entity operational by July. In the meantime, Wools of New Zealand's U.S. office will remain open and functional as usual. Throughout the transition, Wools of New Zealand partners can use the brand as well as have access to the New Zealand wool area at Surfaces 2009.

[Christchurch, New Zealand] New Zealand's wool industry is headed for an overhaul. A new organization, The Wool Industry Network (WIN), has formulated a plan designed to improve the future outlook for the country's wool output. The plan is to create a new co-operative structure among sheep farmers along with a new marketing and sales organization to support the brand and sell the fiber.

WIN was formed in 2006 by Meat and Wool New Zealand and New Zealand Trade and Enterprise. The group began studying the market and released its findings recently. Guiding priorities for the reorganization are: unifying the growers, consolidating the wool clip and innovating marketing to create greater value for wool.

The problem stems from the fact that wool prices have been depressed in recent years as have lamb prices. Many farmers in New Zealand have switched in part or in whole to raising dairy cows as milk prices have soared over the past few years. The problem as WIN defines it is that New Zealand wool is a niche product but it's being traded as a commodity, said Sue Sheldon, WIN chairman. "This means its true value is neither recognized by the market nor realized in financial terms," she said.

The plan at present is to form a grower-owned co-operative called Wool Grower Holdings to unify farmers and consolidate the clip. A subsidiary of the co-operative, thus far titled The New Wool Company - is charged with creating the brand and selling the fiber, according to Tim Lonsdale, currently acting CEO of Wools of New Zealand.

Lonsdale said that the farmers will retain majority ownership of the sales and marketing entity but there may well be others involved.

The marketing arm will sell the fiber as a branded product. It will also focus on brand marketing to consumers and brand support, including technical, creative and fiber support services, according to WIN.

There is no word yet on how supportive the farmers will be but they are integral to the success of the plan, said Mike Jones, WIN CEO. "The importance of a united grower group behind a strong, market-led company supporting their fiber is imperative for the wider wool sector to thrive," Jones said. He added that the strategy will serve to reposition New Zealand strong wool as a premium fiber.

The plan is to have the new marketing entity operational by July. In the meantime, Wools of New Zealand's U.S. office will remain open and functional as usual. Throughout the transition, Wools of New Zealand partners can use the brand as well as have access to the New Zealand wool area at Surfaces 2009.